Germany: 28 Dezember 2009

This was our first true morning in Dresden, and we were sorry in a way that we only had allotted one night in this great city and they were unable to accommodate us for a second night. Nonetheless, we made the most of it and hit the streets running. We started with breakfast from the local pastry shop, and then headed to the train station to leave our luggage in a locker. (This is easier when you need to leave later on the train and it prevents you from having to haul around your crap all day.) Next we trotted along to the city center – Altstadt to check out the pedestrian walkways, shopping centers and market. Dresden is a large city with ½ million residents. It seems to have a nice balance of old and new.

I think it would be important to take a second here and talk about Dresden v. Prague. I mention these two because they were both cities that were basically destroyed during WWII and then were stunted for 40+ years due to communist rule. While Prague has rebuilt some of its commerce and has certainly restored numerous historic buildings, Dresden has really gone wild with the rebirth of their city and they are flush with commerce. This was so incredibly noticeable and it reminded me of one of my very first German lessons and the very first verb they had us learn – fleißig. Fleißig is the German word for industrious/hard working, and they are nothing if not that. And by golly can you see this in Dresden. (Perhaps this is a clue into my own tenacity…it’s in the blood?)

Here are a few shots from their market. (It was closed by the time we got to this city, but these are fun anyway.) Notice the giant pyramid that’s a staple in this city. I was glad to be able to see this, as it is one fo the most defining aspects of Dresden's Christmas market.

Next we were over to the historical district which essentially consists of royal buildings, old churches and famous museums. It’s nice, but most of it is closed on Mondays so we had to look at it from the outside. Here are a couple of shots from that area.

I don’t know what this is supposed to symbolize, but I’d like to call it “born enemies”.

This is the Parade of Nobles and artistically describes the leadership and fashions from seven centuries.

This is a statue of some guy we can't remember. We realize there is a reason for this. He's a relatively unimportant mid-19th century ruler - King John.We did get to see the Frauenkirche (or Church of Our Lady) that was built in 1743 based on Protestant pride alone - they raised all the money to build it via donations from across Europe. If you will notice, some of the stones are dark, and these are original before the church was burned to the ground in 1945. It wasn't until 2005 that the church was rebuilt, as it was kept in rubble as a peace monument. The restoration was certain to add these stones back to their original positions. (This is pretty interesting to see in person.)And, finally, this is a picture of Dresden's large tree inside their train station. Clever photography from Chad who is looking up the tree. (We had a little extra time to capture this since our train was late - again!) More tomorow from Berlin, our last stop.

Germany: 27 Dezember 2009

We started our day by spending our final morning in Prague. We headed down to the local bakery - Mansson Bakery. We’d grown to like this little oasis in our two brief visits. The service was friendly and English-speaking, so that worked well for us. The price was also right for breakfast coffee, tea and treats.

We hit the Prague subways one last time to transfer back to the main train station. We wanted to take a moment to point out that Prague has beautiful subway tunnels. We think this might have been a clever way to cover up graffiti-laden concrete, but we’re not sure. All we know is this Rainbow Bright (metallic style) approach works for us. This is just one of several we saw and they have various color schemes in each.

Now it’s off to Kunta Hora. This small town is about a one-hour train ride away from Prague. We wanted to see it for two reasons: (1) 90% of tourists never make it past Prague in the CR and (2) an ossuary just seemed way too cool to pass up.

The Ossuary (Das Beinhas in Sedlec) was just super amazing. We took hundreds of pictures, but I only put a few up here so you could get an idea. This design was adapted in the late 1800’s, although the building and related cemetery have been around since the 14th century.

This is a chandelier of bones - every single bone from the human body to be exact. In case you can't quite make this one out, that's a "bird" pecking out his eye. Nice.

After the bones, we grab a quick lunch by the skin of our teeth spending our last 164 kc, about $9. Chad said he felt poor as we had to sheepishly count out our last coins. I said it reminded me of my childhood when counting coins was something our family had to do every week. We’re both thankful times have changed and we get to explore wonderful places like Kunta Hora!

We now head back on the train to Dresden. Dresden is conveniently located half way between Prague and Berlin. What should have been about a two-hour trip, turned into about seven given a train malfunction. We were buzzing along just fine when all of the sudden the train started running over something on the tracks. (This isn’t a good sound to hear when you’re on the train.) Since we have our handy Eurail pass and get to sit in 1st Class (no, this hasn’t gone to my head), we are normally near the front of the train. Thus, we were part of the first few cars which heard this.

Long story short, our train rain over electrical lines that are associated with the rail system. When this happened, our train lost electricity and had to sit on the tracks waiting to come and be rescued by another engine (back up batteries kept on the lights and heat). As some of you may have noticed on my Facebook posts, times like these do not make me a happy camper. Nor do completely stupid passengers. As my friend Barry put it, had we been stranded longer, I know who would have been eaten first. To add a little flavor to the unplanned stop, we had several dogs (including one Saint Bernard) on the train and a cat. We also had someone with heart issues. (I thought the conductor was going to loose it.)

Having gotten to Dresden much later than expected, we were quite pleased to take one of their high-end trams to our hotel. Then, we were so happy to discover our room was a beautiful Mexican oasis at Guest House Mezcalero. Okay, so I know I have said multiple times now that a particular location was our “favorite” room, but this one really was. Check out these pictures. The theme was carried out beautifully throughout the entire building and in all the rooms. They were kind enough to put us in one of their bridal suites that included private entry and bath. They had even built custom luggage storage bins (with colored tiles) under the beds. Off to sleep now. More tomorrow.

Czech Republic: 26 Prosinec 2009

It becomes more obvious in the daylight that Prague is a tale of two cities – tourist Prague and “the rest”. While tourist Prague is beautiful, well maintained and busting at the seams with shops, restaurants and bohemian crystal, “the rest” looks about like what you’d expect from a country under communist control for 40-some years. The streets are bleak and dirty. The buildings are tattered and minimal. The shops have multiple (sturdy) forms of security and safety precautions. The oppression is omnipresent. This vibe was overwhelming in Prague. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the season or maybe it was just us. Nonetheless, we felt it important to share this part too on the blog so you had a better idea about all of Prague.

Having said all that, it was interesting that once you walked inside most of these places, the vibe changed dramatically. Our apartment is a great example. From the outside, the building is nothing. The elevator shaft open and constructed as minimally as possible. The mailboxes are old and sad – yet artistic. It takes no less than four keys to get in the building. But, the actual apartment itself was quite nice.

See some shots below.

Here’s the view from outside our window. Not to shabby. Under this the river was visible, as well as an ice skating rink. (This provided lots of entertainment between the 3-year-old newbies and the adult wannabes).We head out again today and visit Prague’s astronomical clock. The clock is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial (sun and moon), "The Walk of the Apostles" and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.

Next we head over to Prague’s highest point and their version of the Petrin Observation Tower (or little Eiffel Tower). This monument was constructed at nearly the same time (albeit second) and stands at the same height – thanks to Petrin Hill upon which it stands. The hill also has a nice garden area and a funicular that you can ride (as we did) to the bottom of the hill. We appreciated how the Czechs were resourceful and “green” in their approach to winterizing the gardens. In order to protect their delicate plants and trees, they’d used natural cover (greenery) instead of man-made materials. (Points for Prague).

By the time we make it back over to the market after lunch, things are really hopping. See this shot of the crowds. Apparently Prague is a big destination for Germans as well.We head over to check out the municipal house and associated shopping district. We’re done in by the crowds and the day, so we pick up some sandwiches at the convenience store on the way home and eat them in our trusty little apartment. Tomorrow it’s back to Germany and on to Dresden.

Czech Republic: 25 Prosinec 2009

Today it’s off to Prague by train. We get the distinct pleasure of traveling with the ÖBB and CD (Prague’s train service) again. These have to be the grumpiest train conductors we’ve encountered yet. They don’t disappoint in meeting this expectation on each opportunity. Nonetheless we make it to Prague without incident and head to our apartment.

We’ve reserved an apartment with a private owner as suggested by Rick Steves. The apartment is in the Jewish Quarter and is owned by a tour guide and musician (violinist). Our first order of business was making our way to a restaurant for food. Our host, Jakub, recommended U Stare Pani. Their traditional Czech food was great and hit the spot. (Who knew that sauerkraut could actually complement a meal?) Here is a photo from the front of the restaurant and attached hotel. After the restaurant we head to the market. Here are a few shots from Prague’s offerings.

Here’s the construction of the Trdlo. These tasty treats were available en mass and even had large blow-up balloon versions hung outside the vendor stands. (We wondered who made such signs, as they obviously had a pretty narrow market for distribution). They were rolled by hand and then cooked on round pins (like rolling pins) over an open fire. A string would then be removed from the pin and rolled fresh in cinnamon and sugar. The lines at these stands were so long we thought we better see what all the fuss was about.

After this we headed to Zvonice for Christmas dinner. This restaurant was recommended by Prague natives on TripAdvisor. We booked our reservation in advance because the restaurant is situated in an old bell tower and they have limited seating. We enjoyed a view on the 8th floor overlooking the city and the bell itself. The restaurant had kindly installed a glass floor panel so you could see the bell below as you dined. (Pretty cool.) Dinner was wonderful and was recommended by the staff. We had a traditional Czech dish consisting of meat, potatoes, cranberries and cream. We topped that off with dessert – of course. Quite a fantastic Christmas dinner.

After this it was absolutely necessary to walk – a good long walk. We headed over to the Charles Bridge, one of Prague’s most famous landmarks. Here’s a view from the bridge at night.

On our way back home we happened upon the courtyard to the Kafka Museum and this trusty piece of art. Isn’t art fun? (These were animated by the way so you were able to see the “fountains” in real-life action swaying all about.)

More to come tomorrow. We have to head to bed now – our bellies are full of heavy Czech food and our legs are tired.

Austria: 24 Dezember 2009

Today we started with breakfast in the pension, and then it was off for sightseeing throughout the city. We ran through Vienna’s many quaint streets filled with small boutiques, cafes, clothing stores and Austrian souvenir shops. This consumed the better part of the morning.

After we had walked for a few hours, we tried lunch at Buffet Trzesniewski. This off-the-beaten-path eatery is small and known for its finger sandwiches and mini beers (Pfiff). We sampled both. The counter has been in Vienna for over a century. Here’s a photo of the staff in action for the lunch crowd.

Next we were off to Saint Stephen’s Cathedral for a quick peek. Here is a shot from inside. Between you and me, Europe’s cathedrals start to look like a battle of “my spire’s bigger than your spire, my fresco’s better than your fresco, my organ can outdo your organ” after you’ve seen a few. In short you can trust they are all big, they are all beautiful and they will (hopefully) all be here bustling tourists through daily by the thousands long after we’re all gone.

What sounds better after church than a little sin? We head over to one of Vienna’s most famous chocolate shops (Demel) for cakes and hot chocolate. (I couldn’t count on all my hands and toes how many hot chocolates we’ve consumed on this trip between trying to stay warm and visiting “free” WiFi spots while traversing three countries.)

Next it was of to the market again. We tried to pop in early here today and see things before they closed since it was Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is celebrated much more rigorously in Germany and Austria than Christmas day. I appreciate TripAdvisor and their valuable forums for steering me in the right direction on this for the market, dinner reservations and a host of other small details. If you are planning a trip like this, that site (and a Rick Steves’ guidebook) are invaluable tools.

Here are a few photos from the Vienna Christmas market (Christkindlmarkt).

Here is the Rathaus (German word of the day for “town hall”). Notice the small signs under the fancy windows. Those are company names – they have effectively sold history to the highest bidder. If that’s not capitalism in action, I don’t know what is.

We sampled these small donuts that were made to order and dipped in cinnamon and sugar. (I pray that my trainer is not reading these posts or she is just going to want to kill me when I get home.)

These other crowd favorites were also available in abundance.

We appreciated these beautiful butterflies that were hung along the streets. It was really neat to see how each city personalized their Advent décor and the themes they carried throughout.

After the Christmas market we headed over to the Naschmarkt. While most of the stands were closing when we arrived, it was still interesting to stroll through this outdoor market and see how Vienna organized their take on the outdoor market. There were a number of restaurants with outdoor seating, as well as numerous fresh fish, produce and fruit stands. It’s said that Vienna’s top chefs also get their daily items here, and it’s the best place to get foreign foods for preparation. The market ends with a few clothing vendors (think flea market style). I picked up two scarves for €5 each (about $7.50), and you can’t beat that deal in the States.
All that walking requires a bit of a rest, so we do just this before heading to our pre-arranged dinner at Beograd. There was a special menu that we enjoyed, as well as a live accordion player. Not only did he play, but some random audience member also played the accordion. (When does this happen?) So we got not only one, but two great performances.

After dinner we walked back down to the Christmas market to see if they’d have the lights on, but sadly they did not. However, we did get this great photo of the Rathaus at night, and this seems fitting as the end to another post! Fröliche Weinacthen!

Austria: 23 Dezember 2009

Our first stop of the day after breakfast at the hotel was at Fingerlos. This is a Salzburg staple, and we can certainly see why. They serve breakfast all day and have wonderful cakes and assorted pastries. (I should pause here to explain that we actually DO eat food other than sweets (honestly), but these are just the most exciting to talk about because they are so prolific.) Here is a photo from outside the restaurant.

Our next stop was at Mirabell Gardens and Palace. (Assuming we'd need to walk off a little bit of pastry.) We didn't go inside the palace, but rather focused on the outdoor portion. The photo below is of Pegasus - one of Salzburg's most publicized statues.

Here is a shot of the gardens in winter. If' you'd like to see more beautiful summer shots, click on the link above to the external site. (Notice in this photo how they have strategically aligned the gardens to focus on Salzburg's highlight - the castle.)

Back to the hotel to quickly grab our bags and head over to Bubblepoint laundry to finish the wash for week one. Here’s a couple of photos for you. This facility was completely automated, including the opening and closing hours, washers, dryers, soap and Internet services. Big signs warned you when the gates came down at night, so best not be tardy! (For a fun video, click on the link above to their national site and see about how BP suggests their facilities may just help you meet a new mate!)

Next we were off on our train to Vienna. This was an excellent time of day actually because we got to see the Alps (at least part of them) at dusk just before nightfall, as well as Austria’s lake region which was just stunning and a most beautiful icy blue.

The trains in Austria are run by the ÖBB. This is the equivalent of Germany’s DB. These trains are not quite as nice or well equipped, but they still do the trick. The attendants, however, are certainly not as nice. (We are pretty sure they hate Americans generally.)

Here is a photo below of two drinks we tried in Austria that are not available in America. One was an orange-flavored cola, the other a sparkling apple juice drink. Those are the Alps wizzing by in the background.

Off to our Viennese hotel, Pension Dr. Geissler. The pension system is a step between hostelling and fancy hotels. Most pensions are owned by locals who have a few rooms to rent. This is also the case with Dr. Geissler’s join that sits atop an apartment building and utilizes 1 and ½ floors of the building for guests.

We should tell you we have one central message for you about Vienna, and that is SMOKING! We are realizing as we go further east that we are probably going to experience an increase in smoking preference. The only downside is that smoking is allowed EVERYWHERE here, and you don’t realize what you’ve got until it’s gone so to speak. (We miss non-smoking public spaces so very much.) Our clothes all smell like smoke now, so we’ve decided to live like Europeans and keep what we have on for a couple of days. Why taint all our other options?

We next needed to conquer dinner and a night stroll. Here's a photo from outside Pfudl. It was recommended by our pensioner and we're glad we took his suggestion.

After dinner we had gelato at Zanoni and Zanoni, a Vienna favorite. Their overstuffed cones at € 2,50 each were a treat!

Just outside the gelato joint was this beautiful street scene, covered with magnificent red lights and globes. This seems like a good way to bid you farewell for today - more tomorrow.